Chapter 269

In long, confident strides, Instructor Robin led them out of the administrative building. After a short walk, it became clear they were headed for the entrance of Tenet and thus onto the streets of Aradon. Natalie had assumed they’d at least be staying on campus.

“Can I, uh, ask where we’re going?”

“My home,” Instructor Robin replied easily.

She stumbled a step. Her home? Why in the world would Instructor Robin be taking her to the place she lived? What sort of ‘mentorship’ did she have planned that couldn’t be handled inside her office, or some other space on the Tenet campus?

Naturally, Natalie’s thoughts went toward less appropriate places, but she squashed those down—an inability to control her fantasies was how she’d ended up in this mess in the first place. Though really, taking a student back to her private residence had to be inappropriate, right? Was Tenet aware Robin was doing this? Maybe they didn’t need to be; it was her prerogative to handle Natalie’s mentorship as she deemed fit.

Putting aside the surprise, Natalie found herself eager to see what Instructor Robin’s home looked like. She was a decorated academy instructor, someone accomplished even more so than the average high-ranker, who, as a whole, were already among the upper echelons of society.

Leaving Tenet’s gates behind, Instructor Robin guided her to a carriage and opened the door for her. Natalie hesitated, but stepped up and inside. Instructor Robin followed.

Thus, it was just the two of them. Instructor Robin didn’t need to give directions to the coachman; without a word, the carriage stuttered forward and began plodding along Tenet’s streets. Probably, he was under her employ, the same man who drove her back to her house every day.

Instructor Robin sat across from her, facing her with that usual cool demeanor. Blue eyes searched Natalie’s face with a quiet, intense contemplation.

“It’s not a far ride,” Robin said. “I don’t intend to keep you long, a few hours at most, but especially for our first session, I would rather host you somewhere more comfortable—a place where we can speak freely.”

“Uh,” Natalie said, still caught off guard by all of this. She frankly couldn’t see why she would need to be taken to Instructor Robin’s home under any circumstances. The vague explanation had cleared up nothing. “Sure?”

“I would like to remind you that this will be guidance-giving as much as punishment,” Robin continued. “In normal circumstances such sessions would normally involve grueling physical training supplemented by discussions of the flaw that brought you to one-on-one training with an Instructor. Considering the particular nature of the mistakes you’ve made, though, I’ve decided other methodology is more appropriate.”

Natalie barely stopped herself from replying with another ineloquent, ‘Uh.’

“And those plans are?”

“You will discover shortly,” Robin said. “No need to rush.” The Instructor crossed her legs and leaned back. “Before we get to the crux of the matter, I would prefer to get to know you.”

“Get to know me?” she echoed.

“Tenet keeps files on all of its students, yes, but such reports are clinical in nature. I would like to hear your story from you, if you don’t mind. Briefly—no need to divulge what you don’t wish to. Let’s begin with, say, what brought you to Tenet?”